


Here we lie Together

by CyberSearcher



Series: Cryptid AU [7]
Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blizzard!AU, Cryptid!AU, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Kai is trying, M/M, Ninjago AU, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, zangst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:47:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25618330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyberSearcher/pseuds/CyberSearcher
Summary: Even after only a few days, not being able to see Zane has been chipping away at Cole's nerves. If he can't leave the monastery, he - along with Kai - at least try to figure out what Zane 'is' so he can get out faster. If only that had an easy answer. His masters cryptic warnings don't help his confidence either.
Relationships: Cole & Kai (Ninjago), Cole & Sensei Wu (Ninjago), Cole & Zane (Ninjago), Cole/Zane (Ninjago)
Series: Cryptid AU [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752718
Comments: 25
Kudos: 79





	1. Wonder Why?

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to Starr/@shock-tastic for being the beta reader of this chapter

Three days. 

Cole paced the length of his room, making sure to have locked the door so none of the others could see his silent panicking. His hands squeezed the back of his neck, tugging at the fine hairs. He knew he’d pulled a few out and tried to stop himself from keeping up the habit. 

The teen could still hear the glass panels rattling in the winds. Snow was piled thick across the training grounds, any attempt at clearing it would only be undone in a matter of hours. That didn’t stop their training in itself, but Cole didn’t miss the way their elderly master carefully dissuaded them from leaving the Monastery at all. 

He could hear Jay’s exaggerated complaining through the door. Kai was in the middle of doing their laundry and Nya was tucked into her workshop, tinkering with her gauntlets. The last time Cole saw their Sensei, he’d been reading scrolls in his quarters. With them all essentially quarantine, they’d all gone off to their own little nook within the Monastery. 

Cole wished he could just go outside and check on Zane. It was too easy to place himself in the cryptids position and envision the fragile horror on his face. 

The teen finally stopped and dropped himself on the floor, head hanging between his legs as he tried to sort out his thoughts. He and Kai didn’t have a ‘plan’ to get him out, more of a vague collection of ideas that didn’t sound like they’d fail horribly. But Cole was still grateful, nonetheless. 

He decided not to keep wallowing in pity and pulled out his sketchbook from under his pillows. “I wonder what you look like under all that.” Cole wistfully mused.

He knew the shape of Zane’s face by heart, contours and all. His body was thin but not emancipated and his hair was silken soft. Cole sketched out his face, free of frost and with regular eyes. They were still the same, neon blue shade, but without their ethereal glow and shaped like a normal human's eye. 

“You liked that sweater I gave,” he chewed at the already ruined eraser head, “maybe I should bring more next time.” 

Soon he was holding two pages of what he pictured Zane to look like. Cole alternated between shining silver or pale skin, but his face remained a constant. The teen brushed off the eraser filings, careful not to smudge any of the fine lines or colour. He took a moment to stare down at the drawings and laughed at himself quietly.

“I’ve got it so bad,,” Cole leaned his head back against the bed frame, “god, I’m even talking to myself about you.”

The sound of the door clicking open made him jump to his feet. He tucked his sketchbook under his arm, knowing it was too late to hide it again. Kai was in the middle of wiping his damp hands on his shirt and looked up to him with a grin.

“Sure you’re not gonna tell me what he’s like?” He asked. 

“What do you mean?” Cole said weakly. 

“Y’know,” Kai strolled up and threw himself down across his bed, “the pretty guy who’s got you swooning worse than Jay.” 

He muffled any sort of denial and just let his shoulders drop. Cole sat back against the floor and held his sketchbook against his chest. Kai shifted, arms folded under his head and a growing, smug expression on his face. The teen decided there was no point in hiding that fact, he wanted to be as honest as he could anyways.

“Fine.” He huffed. “But you promise you’re not going to gossip with Nya?”

“God no, I’m gonna taunt the hell outta her though. She’s gonna be begging to know about this.” Kai stated. 

“Great.” Cole deadpanned. 

“So? Spill.” 

As exasperated as he was, he couldn’t help the wistful smile that crossed his lips. “Zane’s really nice… in his own ways. He doesn’t really talk much, but he’s smart. Sassy too, I didn’t expect that.” 

“Sounds like fun.” Kai commented. “But why him? There’s gotta be plenty of guys who’re livelier than him by the sounds of it.” 

Cole narrowed his gaze. The other teen cringed. “Sorry, sorry. I guess I just don’t see the appeal.”

“Of course not, you’re not gay.” He rolled his eyes. 

Kai shoved his shoulder and Cole didn’t budge. “Dick. I’m serious though, why him?” 

“I dunno.” 

He tapped his pencil against his knee in a simple beat, some song he half-remembered from childhood. Cole tried to think of any real reason for why he loved Zane more than any other guy he’d met before. He stopped himself from chewing on his pencil again and tried to give a coherent enough answer. 

“It’s not the same for Jay and Nya, I think. They’ve got a lot of the same interests and I guess that’s why they click so well. Me and Zane, it’s different I guess. Being around him just feels safe, like I don’t need to worry about anything when he’s with me.” 

Cole could feel his cheeks growing warmer at his confession. He rubbed at the nape off his neck, letting himself smile. 

“Holy shit, you really are smitten as hell for this guy.” Kai laughed. “Damn. I gotta step up my game.”

“I don’t think you’re his type. Maybe in another life.” 

“Eh, I can dream,” the red ninja chewed at a fingernail, “but related to that, Wu might be going out again tonight. I caught him reading up on that old chicken scratch, looked kinda… ice element-y.”

“I don’t think that’s a real word, but, okay.” Cole nodded. “What do you think about that?”

“Maybe Wu think’s that’s what’s causing the storm? Another elemental master. Then again, how would they have that much power if they don’t have the shuriken?” 

“Do you think there are even others like us?” 

“It’s not the most unbelievable thing.” Kai shrugged. 

“Right, stupid question. We both know how to spin really fast and turn into tornadoes made of dirt and fire.” Cole rubbed his temple. “But you’ve got a point, I can’t just summon a boulder. And I don’t think you should even be allowed to create flames at will.”

There was also the question of how Zane had elemental powers in the first place, because Cole knew for certain that the cryptid wasn’t human. He figured that their abilities had to come from their parents - it explained some of the few, odd memories he had of his mother - but Zane was a mystery. 

“Maybe we could get a better look at those scrolls?” He proposed. “See if there’s anything we can actually read?” 

“Good luck with that.” Kai scoffed. “I’m in.” 

The teen rolled off the bed and strolled ahead. Cole made sure to choose another place to hide his sketchbook before following them. Down the halls, he saw that Jay has left the living room. He didn’t need to think too hard about where the blue ninja was, Cole could hear his jokes through the walls. 

Kai shoved one of the sliding panels open and found the walls lined with neat racks of scrolls, their teachers' staff leaning against the wall. The smell of incense was strong and Cole fought the instinct to cover his mouth. 

The red ninja knelt by one of the racks and began pulling out rolls. “There’s gotta be something we can read, or at least some good pictures.”

“Just remember where you put them,” Cole gathered the discarded rolls and tucked them back, “otherwise he’ll know we went through them.” 

“You really worried about that? Besides, aren’t we supposed to be doing research on this Blizzard thing? If there is something here, why not just tell us?” 

“Hell if I know.” Cole muttered. 

The two made quick work of all the written material. The leader had to remind Kai to keep quiet several times and once, the shorter teen knocked over a clay incense burner and nearly set the room aflame. Both had hastily stamped it out before gathering what they could make out in the center of the room. 

Out of the dozens of scrolls, there was only one they could read. Kai looked down the list, then pointed with wide eyes.

“Those are my parents' names!” He half-yelled.

“How can you tell?” Cole squinted. “They’re scratched out.” 

“It’s them, okay. Just - I know.” Kai snapped. “Look, maybe your parents' names are here too.” 

Cole glanced down the list, but if his mother’s name were here, he guessed it was scratched out. He could figure out the reason why, too. The memory of her death was a painfully bright spot in his childhood. 

Something else that caught both their eyes was just the sheer number of names. “Do you think all of them are elemental masters?” Kai asked. 

“Maybe.” Cole shrugged. “But that much? How many elements are there?” 

“Doesn’t matter for now I guess. Look at this though,” the messy haired teen gestured to the bottom of the scroll, “why’s his name circled?” 

Bubo Evergreen was written in flowing script at the end of the long line of names. It was the only one that wasn’t either crossed out or left alone. From another piece of paper - a letter if he was guessing right - the initials ‘B. E’ marked the bottom corner. 

The letter itself was mundane, talking about a forest in a very poetic way. Cole could admire the writer's artistic touch, but Kai just scoffed and returned to comb through the racks for anything they might have missed. 

_“This endless march upon ground that does not weep would, without question, drive most to madness and misery. Yet I find comfort in this contorting trail that sees no end. It mires my path with mystery that, in this life, I may never lay upon my head and find rest.”_

Cole heard Kai groan and could feel the other rolling his eyes. “Sure that isn’t just old people gossip?” 

The darker teen shook his head. “There’s gotta be more. These initials can’t be coincidence. Look, just listen to this; _’I find myself floundering, bearing no fruit from my wanderings. No blossom has been found worth bearing my heart, my blessing. Perhaps it is not among the aroma of flowers, but between those blistering and bleak forests.’_ ”

“Yea, old people gossip. Maybe Wu just had some friends who were florists or something,” Kai dismissed, head stuck between two racks, “where the hell was that scroll he was holding?” 

“Would you focus for once? God, you’re worse than Jay sometimes.” Cole sighed. 

“Hey!” Kai jerked up, only to hit his head against the rack for the third time. “Ow! Fuck!” 

This time the other teen didn’t bother telling Kai to shut up. Both of them flinched when they heard the door to the room slide open. Their master stood by the entrance, cradling a still smoking pot of tea. There was a faint flash of surprise that Cole didn’t miss as he took in the scene. 

Kai shot up and gave a nervous laugh. “O-oh, Sensei. We were just doing research! Yea, on this stupid blizzard. Didn’t mean to go through your old gos - letters! Uh, sorry?” 

“Prudence is not a sin.” The elderly man waved a hand. “But perhaps it would be best to come to me next time, for the sake of my organization.” 

“Sure that’s the only thing?” Cole asked. 

Wu didn’t betray a reaction. Kai only looked between the two with a worried expression, picking at his nails again. Cole relaxed as much as he could and set a hand on the shorter teens shoulder. 

“It’s getting kinda late, you wanna call it a night? I’ll tidy up here since you did the dishes already.” He offered.

“You gonna tuck me in too?” Kai scoffed. 

“As if, you’d probably bite my hand off.” 

The other still took the invitation, crossing and exiting the room, but not before giving Cole a small salute before disappearing into the hall. Cole gathered the scroll and letters, but didn’t return them to their racks just yet. Wu had closed the door behind them and knelt by the short table at the center of the room.

“What troubles you, my student?” He asked. 

“Why are you really keeping me here?” Cole said firmly. “And how much do you know about what might be causing this storm?” 

“There are many things that - “

He cut his master off, nerves having eaten away at his patience. “With all due respect, just give me a straight answer. What do you know?” 

Wu’s posture sagged in the slightest. Then, he pushed away his teapot and lowered his chin the slightest.


	2. Wander Where?

His master didn’t speak until he took a kneeling seat at the end of the low table. The part of Cole that respected his master told him to follow, but the teen knelt in a way that made clear the difference in their height. He narrowed his eyes as the old man continued to keep silent. 

“Is this guy connected to… to the ‘blizzard’?” Cole asked, slapping down the letter. “Bubo, was he an elemental master?” 

Wu gave a small nod. “Yes, he was the previous Master of Ice.” 

Cole glanced to the door, squinting through the rice paper for any sign that the others were listening. There was no creak of wood and the shadows behind the thin wall didn’t shift. He kept his voice low and didn’t break eye contact, boring into the elderly mans wandering gaze. 

“So is he Zane’s father? Yes or no.” 

Wu opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. Cole stopped himself from throwing his hands into the air and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“Master, I know you think you know what’s best for me and - “ 

“I do not know.” 

The statement caught Cole off guard and he took a moment to read over his Senseis’ posture. He had poured himself a cup, but hadn’t touched it since they started talking. His shoulders and back were tense and uptight. And he hadn’t managed to look Cole in the eye for more than moments at a time. 

“So, you just don’t know? That’s it?” He asked. 

“Cole, this thing - “ 

“Zane isn’t a thing. He’s a person.” 

“ - the power he has is… it is not - it is dangerous. I do not know what happened to Bubo, but I suspect that… his elemental ability may have been taken from him. There is no other way something inhuman could have gained that much power.” 

“Master, Zane didn’t mean to hurt me. He never has,” he pulled back his hair as guilt punched against his stomach, “that was my fault. I shouldn’t - I should’ve been more careful. Maybe I shouldn’t get into the habit of running from things I don’t like, but none of that is Zane’s fault.” 

Wu’s beard hid most of his facial expressions, but Cole could still see the concern. It was a shockingly familiar look, something he’d seen only in his own father's eyes. 

“I have seen many things in my lifetime.” His master said in a quiet tone. “But I have never seen something like Zane. There are any number of creatures and monsters in this realm and I would not live with myself if I could not keep you or the others safe from them. I will not let the youth chase after something they themselves do not understand.” 

There was a weight behind those words that made Cole uncomfortable. “Master, are you saying there are things worse than skeletons, dragons and your evil brother who rules hell?”

“I - “

“Yes or no.” 

Wu ducked his head, hiding his eyes under the shade of his cone hat. 

“Yes.” 

Cole spent a moment trying to wrap his head around that concept; what was worse than dragons, dark lords and armies of undead? He thought back to the childhood stories about beasts and dashing knights in silver armour, but that was like comparing a needle to a sword. Those were only stories, but Cole began to wonder if they weren’t. His head was sent spinning with the thought of all the horrific legends that were the subject of the darkest plays holding even a grain of truth. 

“None of you are prepared to even begin to battle such a threat.” Wu concluded. “Thankfully, there has been no talk of any such evil returning. The land is at peace. There is nothing to worry for.” 

Cole cleared off the last of his shock from his face, deciding not to consider something that wasn’t even a reality. There was a sudden, thundering rattle that struck the wall behind them and Wu sucked in a sharp breath. The elderly master stood and set a hand on his shoulder. Cole could feel the barest shake in his palms as they squeezed. 

“I am sorry, Cole, I truly am. But sometimes… we must let go of the people we love the most.” 

His voice had the same, solemn tone he’d used before. Cole was frustrated, but figured he couldn’t call the old man out on wanting to be private. But he still shrugged off his weathered grip and stepped past him. He hovered by the doorframe and gave one last glance back. 

“I do love Zane. But that just means nothing's gonna stop me from getting back to him. Not even you.” 

The teen slipped through the door before Wu could protest. Thankfully there was no one in the hallway to see Cole as he pressed his hands over his mouth, forcing himself to breath and steeling his courage. He wanted to turn back and give a more sincere apology, but Cole couldn’t think of anything else to say and he didn’t think there was anything else left to say. 

Glancing down the hall, he could hear Jay and Nya welding and messing around with their mechanics. He peeked into their shared room and found Kai digging through his drawer, the steam from the connected bathroom telling him that he’d just gotten out of another hot shower. 

“Hey bro, what took ya?” Kai asked, sniffing a loose brown shirt that Cole knew was his and pulled his arms through. 

Cole decided to let the shorter teen have it, knowing that the siblings traded clothes like other people spent money. “Just had to talk to Wu about… stuff. Well, okay, it was about Zane.”

“Missing him that bad, huh?” He mused. 

“God, yea it’s bad,” Cole drooped onto the bed, tugging at his hair. 

“Too bad. This storm’s probably not gonna let up for weeks. I’m gonna kick that fuckin’ cryptids ass when we get outta here.” 

Cole rolled over and grabbed under his pillow for his sketchbook, only then remembering he’d moved it behind the dresser Kai was standing in front of. Standing to grab it and planning out a new place to stash it, Cole had to do a double take when he saw something gold shining under the clothes. 

He looked up and Kai was grinning down at him. “Pretty sure even I’d have trouble getting out there. Would’ve been a lot easier if I had my sword, too bad I left it on the training ground. I’ll have to wait till morning to get it back.”

There was a joke about Kai’s hair freezing into its customary spikes, but it left him as his mouth turned up in a stunned smile. 

“Anyways,” the shorter teen gave a long stretch and yawn, “I’m gonna turn in, tell Jay to shut up if he can. Night.” 

Cole gave a brief nod. “Got it.” 

He wanted to give it a few moments before grabbing the hidden weapon. But after a minute of waiting, Cole realized that Kai really was asleep. He was curled up tight in the blankets, lightly snoring to himself. Jumping up from his seat, Cole dashed to the drawer and hastily uncovered the sword. 

The dragon's mouth mounted on the hilt and spilling flames down the blade looked alive under the low light. Reaching for the handle, the ninja was surprised with how hot the metal was. The way it radiated heat too was uncanny; it pulsed up and down his fingers, rippling in erratic beats. 

Cole decided not to overthink that. Even with the Sword of Fire, the teen decided to take extra steps to keep himself from succumbing to hypothermia as fast as he did before. Changing out from his loose t-shirt, he pulled on long sleeves, jeans, boots, a sweater and a hoodie under that. 

After a moment, Cole took another one of his hoods and tied it around his waist like a belt. It worked as a makeshift sheath for the sword, but he hoped that he could give the clothes to Zane when he made it to the cave. Then realizing that scaling a mountain in this weather would be a challenge - even for him - he fished out his old climbing rope. 

Back in the main hall, the rest of the lights had been shut, save for the ever present flickering from the candles in Sensei Wu’s room. Cole still kept his footsteps light as he snuck out the front door. He had to fight the winds that held it shut and wrestled them back closed once he slipped through. 

Outside, the world was awash with white. Cold needles stung his eyes and he pulled up his hood to try and block the gale from his bandaged cheek. Taking his first steps forward, he staggered when he finally came across the first steps and almost tripped into the thick snow. This time, Cole drew the golden sword and used it as a makeshift walking stick. 

Using the magic weapon also helped to fend of the numbing sensation of frostbite on his hands. As the edge of the blade met the snow, it receded like waves and left a small circle of clear wood from the staircase. 

Cole glanced back and was tempted to go back and search for a pair of gloves or even his cowl to further protect his face. But he didn’t want to risk anyone catching him outside and carrying a weapon that he wasn’t even supposed to use outside of real combat. He knew he may have just been being stubborn. 

“Fuck it.” He spat out. “I’m commin’ for you, Zane.” 

Cutting a clear path down the training grounds, snow quickly began to refill the valley left behind as he pushed against the thick wooden doors of the Monastery. Out on the mountaintop, Cole could see the sheer edge where the snow and stone ended and the drop down began. The skies were smeared with thick spirals of white that blotted out the sun and the winds tore at his clothes. 

He pursed his lips and swept away the snow at his feet. Under his hands, the metal burned and Cole almost saw sparks fly and fade into the howling winds. Getting down the stairs was a long, tedious process - he had to keep checking for ice or brace against the freezing gusts - but soon, Cole was level with the path up to their cave.

Kicking his toes against the stone to try and stop the creeping numb, Cole pulled the rope off his shoulders and rolled the hook at the end in his palm. Swinging it in his free hand, he threw with all the force he could. Even then, Cole wasn’t satisfied with the grip and repeated the process twice before the hook was properly embedded. 

Tying the sword tight against his back and tying the rope around his waist, he pressed himself against the cliff and began to shuffle down the slick rocks. His fingers slipped against the crevasse, gales battered his side and more than once was he scared the hook anchoring him to the rocks would come loose. 

Blinking through the storm, Cole could see the edge of the cave less than a meter away. Relief flooded through him and that made him careless as he leapt to the next rock. 

The numbness had faded, but not enough to keep his grip. Cole felt the rope at his midsection jerk suddenly, then grow slack at the same moment. Screaming, he threw his hands across the cliff and scratched at the stone for any sort of crevasse. The storm kicked up again, tugging at his footing, almost taunting him to fall. He could feel the slack rope pulling him down and Cole dared to fumble for the knot, needing to lose the weight. 

He blindly tugged at the fabric knotted around his hips, jerking and pulling them away. He felt both the rope and the sword suddenly fall and Cole swore into the wind. 

“Come on! Really?” He grit his teeth and clenched his fingers down into the stone. 

To his surprise, he felt the slightest caving under his fingertips. Cole spared a moment to marvel at his strength, then scrambled up the cliff and pushed himself up onto the ledge. 

Panting and relaxing his hands that were now stiff from cold, he looked over his shoulder and groaned. “Fuckin’ - really can’t catch a break here, can I?”

Pushing himself up to one knee, Cole was ready to step into the cave, only to find a thick barrier of ice blocking the entrance. Growing, he punched the barrier with all the frustration he had left boiling inside him; from Wu, towards himself and at whatever god was watching at that moment. 

To his surprise, a wide crack grew where his hand had struck. Cole grabbed a loose stone and began to pound at the ice.


	3. Worry Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole finds Zane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I didn’t know how the fuck to hyperlink this, so here’s the special sound cue. This is what I had in mind for the ‘indescribable sound’, you’ll understand it when you get there.
> 
> https://youtu.be/Qd-CwJa1SHE
> 
> Also, thank you to ninjagian-lover on discord for beta reading this. Feels good to finally get this WIP done after a week. 😅

Cole’s fingers were sore and the skin was turning a glassy red as he pounded against the ice with the makeshift chisel. Quickly grabbing a larger stone to use like a hammer, he gouged away at the frozen material. Even the slightest cracking filled Cole with hope but he forced himself to stop several times to warm his hands with his breath. 

“C’mon, c’mon, I know you’re there,” he grit, carving at a hole that was only as big as his pinky, “fuck, Zane I’m here for you.” 

Finally, he managed to punch a hole he could fit his hand into. Cole pulled up the sleeves of his coat and started prying away chunks. The hard edge of the ice stung against his raw skin and left thin cuts across his palm. All that really did was irritate Cole. Even after all the effort, the hole had only grown to about the size of his head. 

He let out a scream of frustration that matched the howling winds and threw his fist into the remaining ice. Burning pain flared up his knuckles and Cole glared at his opaque reflection. Then, a thin spider web of crack coursed down the material and began to fall away. 

Now the hole was big enough that he could crawl through. Pulling himself up and squeezing his shoulders through, Cole tumbled through and yelped when he landed on solid ground. He opened his mouth to call out for Zane again, but his jaw only fell slack. 

The cave was hauntingly dark and for a moment, Cole feared he’d fallen back into the underworld. It was almost impossible for him to distinguish the stone from the ice; everything was a blended shade of dark blue and greys. 

He looked down and vertigo sent his head spinning. Logically, Cole knew there was a floor underneath him. But the shadows and ice gave the illusion that he was standing atop a bottomless chasm. There was something else too, inside the ice, that made Cole queasy. 

The teen took a few slow, cautious steps forward, then whipped his head around when he saw something move. “Zane?” 

It almost looked like moonlight filtered through a pool, but it came from the ice itself. Reaching out, Cole’s palm pressed up against the cold surface. There was another shimmer and this time, he could clearly see something - a shape? Or a place? - in the wall. Now that Cole knew what he was looking at, he glanced around the cavern again with a closer eye. 

He could see the same, warped images surrounding him now. They didn’t stay for long and what he could distinguish was a mess of colour like the northern lights. It was beautiful and incredibly uncanny. The only place he could compare this place to was imagining what stars must feel like, floating in the abyss of night. 

Cole kept his hand against the wall, not wanting to run into one by accident and break his nose. “Zane? Bliz? I’m here, you didn’t hurt me I’m right here.” He called out. “It’s me, I’m here.” 

On his next step, his foot knocked against something hard. “Fuck! What the - “ 

Whatever he’d bumped into, it had been covered in a fine sheet of snow that had shifted and part of it had slid off. He stared hard at the sphere-shaped lump of ice and the bright glow just beneath the surface. 

His throat grew tight. Cole began brushing off the snow-covered orb that shined like a moon in the darkness. He had to be careful though, there were several jagged points around the bottom and Cole tripped over one. Tugging the cuff of his pants free, he walked around the sphere, fearing what he’d see inside it. 

There was no mistaking the colour of that light and as he pressed his face against the ice, Cole saw the crown of Zane’s forehead bowed under the sphere. 

He fell to his knees, both palms spread across the cold bubble. The snow was melting through the fabric but Cole ignored the prickling cold. One hand curled into a fist and fruitlessly pounded against the ice. A hollow thud was his only response, echoing around him and mocking his efforts as it bounced around the cave. 

He searched for Zane’s face under the ice. All he could see was translucent blue and little veins of onyx black that stretched into spines down the sphere. On the floor though, he could see the netted shawl he’d bought from the festival. It was held up to Zane’s face, bowing to it like a shrine. 

Cole sobbed against the ice, tears freezing as they fell. “Zane? Please, can you at least hear me? Please. I’m right here, I’m okay.” 

The teen berated himself for losing the sword, or for not bringing some other tool he could’ve used to break Zane out of the prison he’d made for himself. 

He threw another punch, hoping that it’d crack the ice again. All Cole received was more pain that was half-numbed from the cold. The teen beat the ice again with both fists, crying and shouting, begging for any sight or sign that the cryptid could hear him. 

His fingers were twitching and the aching was starting to crawl up his forearms. Cole reared back for another round of desperate punches until he looked at his knuckles. The blue light illuminated the ugly purple and red bruising skin that was just shy of splitting. 

“Zane… please, can you give me a sign? Anything?” He begged. “Please.” 

In the silence, Cole realized the cave wasn’t as silent as he first thought. There was a sound he could hardly describe that filled the emptiness. It sounded like a hollow wail, being stabbed would have hurt less. 

The legs of his pants were now thoroughly soaked through and Cole could feel himself shivering from more than just agony. He whipped his face, then wrapped one arm around his midsection and uncurled his sore hand against the glowing sphere. 

“I - even if you c - can’t hear me, you need to know this.” Cole whispered. “It wasn’t your fault. You d - didn’t mean to hurt me. I was just being stubborn a - and stupid. And even after that, I still don’t wanna leave you like this Blizz.” 

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the ice. “I promise I’ll be back. I swear I will. I’ll be back every day. I’ve gotta go, but I promise I’ll never leave you. I love you, Zane.”

Cole was still tempted to just endure the cold for as long as he could, to sit by his side and refuse to move until Zane awoke from his self-imposed hibernation. But Cole loved Zane too much to force his boyfriend to see his frozen body at his feet a second time. It took all his strength to push himself to his feet.

The winds outside hadn’t dampened all through the one-sided conversation. Cole waited one last, hopeful moment before finally turning to leave. 

He glanced out the hole in the wall, placing one hand to push himself through. He’d made up his mind to go, but Cole still couldn’t help looking over his shoulder. The little sphere in the center of the darkened cavern stood bright and solitary in a space that looked too vast and too empty in comparison. 

Cole rubbed his cheek and started climbing back through the hole. Then he squinted, noticing it was now large enough for him to be able to comfortably step through. Where his hand had rested, there was an inch between it and where the ice was now. 

He ran back into the cave. Across the ground, pinpricks of light began seeping through and illuminating the floor. The dark ice that coated the ground began to slowly fade into a soft blue and the images within then evaporated into mist. Cole ran, then slipped and caught himself at the edge of Zane’s sphere. 

The teen couldn’t form words. His mouth broke into a watery smile and tried his best to embrace the now - receding ice. Cole saw Zane shift the slightest underneath the barrier as the bubble shrunk and his back straightened. It receded slowly down his hair and the moment his face was free, Cole grabbed his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. 

“Oh my god, you’re okay.” He breathed against his nose, threading his fingers through frozen hair. 

Zane shook his head the slightest, then looked up to meet Cole’s eyes. The cryptids' expression was mystified, scanning the human face with a disbelieving stare. The haunting sound was abruptly cut off, replaced by a startled and adorable little chirp. Cole reached down to hold one of his thawed hands and help it to his cheek. 

“It’s not a dream.” He smiled, choking back a happy sob. “I’m here.”

His grin faltered when he saw Zane flinch back when his hand was pressed against his skin. The cryptids' expression quickly grew downcast and he started to shake his head. 

Zane pulled his hand back to gesture a cracking motion, followed by a violent splitting apart, pointed to Cole, then stared down at his own hand and the shawl still frozen to his lap. 

“I told you, that wasn’t your fault.” Cole repeated. “I shouldn’t have been so stupid to stick around you in wet clothes. I just didn’t want to go back to the others, I’m sorry.” 

He wanted to hold the cryptid's hands to show he really wasn’t a danger to him, but the teen knew that’d most likely just distress him further. Instead, Cole patted over his heart and held out his palm over Zane’s chest. 

He folded his hands back against his lap and waited for Zane to respond. The cryptid met his gaze in sparse glances, then carefully unfolded his hands. A thin sheet of ice grew between his fingertips and fine trails of frost began to form words. 

_’I was so scared Cole. Did the others hurt you… when they found you?_

“No, actually me and Kai are on better terms than before. He’s not so bad when you get past the ego.” He said. “But… Wu might be on to us, maybe it’d be best if you moved down the mountain.” 

Zane gave a small shiver, causing the spikes across his shoulders to rattle. _’I did not say this, but your master was here, after the festival.’_

“That son of a - “ Cole caught himself just short of swearing and settled for grinding his teeth. “It’s okay, we’ll be okay Zane. Are you okay with finding a different cave? You’ve got about a day till the storm settles down.” 

He glanced up to the little nook they’d made for eachother. Cole reached behind him and pulled off one of the frozen pictures. He held it out for Zane and he took it after a small hesitation. 

_’Yes. I will be okay. But please be safe, Cole.’_ He punctuated the statement by mirroring Cole’s hand - over heart motion from before. 

“I care for you too.” The teen nodded, whipping away the tears with his sleeve. “But I think I really should be going, the others are gonna worry. I’ll find you in a day or two, I promise.” 

Zane finally smiled. _’I will wait.'_

Cole could still hear the faint, misty chirping that he now swore was coming from Zane. He didn’t hide a small laugh and sighed. “And here I thought you couldn’t get cuter.” 

Flecks of frost dotted his cheeks and Zane’s smile quickly grew bashful. The human turned to the cleared entrance and shifted his feet to stand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zane’s hand hover over his. Cole reached out and the cryptid smoothed a thumb over the bruises with a faintly concerned expression. 

“Sorry. I kinda… really panicked. I’ll try not to make that a habit.” He confessed. 

Zane puffed out a breathy laugh, then lifted his hand to his lips and pressed a delicate kiss to each of his knuckles. It was almost cliche, but it still filled Cole’s heart with so much affection. 

The cryptid still hovered with a hairs’ width between his fingers. He traced a loose circle over the top of his palm before releasing them with a soft whisper. 

“Love Cole.” 

“I love you too, Zane.”


End file.
